Spin playlist: Endurance training

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been alternating between endurance classes and interval classes.

I explained it to my class this morning as follows: Endurance classes you try to keep a steady heart rate, around 60 percent (though very few people have monitors). The intervals are longer but less intense, and the rest periods are shorter.

Interval classes have short bursts of really high-intensity followed by longer rest periods.

For today's endurance class I took them up three big (5-6 minute) climbs. After each one there's a recovery then either jumps or sprints to keep things interesting. Each climb was over two songs, so I intentionally made the second song a little faster so the last two minutes or so of the climb would be more challenging. All climbs are a combination of sitting and standing. Here's the playlist:

Rolling Stones: Start Me Up -- warmup

Yael Naim - New Soul: Start climb #1 out easy. About a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10. Increase the last minute of the song.

Marathon music spring 2012 edition

To say that the nerves are kicking in would be a vast understatement.

So here's another music post! It will take the place of my normal spinning playlist because I didn't make one this week, I just used old ones.

I'm also so bummed, the Flying Pig doesn't post split times to Facebook and Twitter like the other races do, so I'll try to do a quick update on my phone as soon as I can after the race.

Here's what I'm super excited to listen to during the Pig:

Girl Talk Girl Talk Girl Talk!!! Free downloads here: http://illegal-art.net/girltalk/

Love me some Matt & Kim! I have two of their albums loaded up onto my iPod.

Remember this next time you can't get off the couch (and spin playlist for the week)

I got home from a long-ish day at work, took Lizzie on her regular walk around the block and then we both plopped ourselves down on the couch. I put my feet up on the coffee table, and still wearing my work clothes I spent the next 20 minutes not-quite-getting Jon Stewart's jokes about the Easter and Passover coverage.

I SO wanted to stay there for the next few hours, see what Colbert had to say, see if Stewie has attempted to kill Lois lately (I'm a few episodes behind) or laugh at whatever personas Roger whips out next. An ideal Tuesday evening, really. Laundry can wait. Dishes can wait. Someone bring me a pizza? Yep, a whole one.

But no, I have to get up, bleck! 

I'd love to say that I had the drive and motivation to go to the Y. But today I didn't. I'm off my training plan again, sidelined for a couple more days due to recurring calf pain. No, the only thing getting me off my lazy butt this evening was the fact that somebody had to open her big mouth when they needed someone to fill the time slot for cycling.

Why, why, why did I do that?

I slug upstairs, groan slightly as I put on my tights and a wrinkly top, again curse the fact that I cut my hair just too short to fit in a ponytail, pull my baseball cap down low, toss a cookie to Miss Lizzie (lucky brat gets to stay on the couch AND eat a bacon flavored treat, so jealous) and head out the door.

Carry a compass to help you along

Cycling playlist for the week!! This is a good one :)

Edgar Winter Group -- Free Ride

Waiting for the End -- Linkin Park

Stand, you're gonna run again :)

What a crazy week! I'll schedule a post to go tomorrow with an update on how I'm doing injury-wise, to sum it up in one word: Better!!

In the meantime, my spinning playlist for the week (a few repeats from last week) :)

Warm-up: Lenny Kravitz, Stand

Hill: Doors - Hello, I Love You

Hill with jumps: Matt & Kim - Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare -- How am I just now discovering this song -- it is AWESOME and PERFECT for spin!!!!!!